Post Pandemic Preaching - Grace
Romans 6:15 in the Recovery Version
[This is the 10th lesson of this series]
One of the things that I have been seeing more and more of, is Christians fighting among themselves. I know that this has been going on for centuries, since the 1st church even, so nothing new there.
But what I am referring to is that followers of Christ has escalated the war against their siblings in Christ and we are seeing more of them because of how technology has made the world so much smaller.
Karens
Smart phones, wi-fi, social media, apps, the internet, television, radio has made almost everyone on earth connected to one another. And we are just starting, the world will become even smaller and more connected with newer and newer advancements in technology evolving in shorter and shorter intervals.
This is also where we will see and hear more about these "infighting" among believers. Social media is the new spiritual battleground and the virtual world is the final frontier -- the ends of the earth.
Jesus told His followers to:
Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (The Great Commission in the Good News Translation)
Differences in Worship Styles
I know we are all born and grew up in different eras, different background, and we enjoy our own "styles" of singing/praising/praying. We have our generation's songs and the worship leaders and preachers we grew up with. But if God be glorified, lifted up and praised then we shouldn't really have beef with how others not like us do so. Worship is all about Him, not us and definitely not our personal preferences or tradition or our hang ups.
Online Church
Funny even the pandemic has also made believers from different denominations to slander one another just because some hate the idea of online meetings, and some have made it an excuse not to physically meet in a physical building. Many of us have strong words against these lost souls.
Grace
In the same manner, there are also those believers who hate those who teach and believe in what has now become known as hyper grace. And made it into a hate word.
Yes even though deep in their hearts they know fully well they themselves have been an unworthy recipient of God's amazing grace and mercy, and forgiveness and patience, and forbearance and love, and shall we go on?
Not condoning those who really misuse or manipulate God's grace into their own personal gain or agenda. But why must we slander and say harsh words towards our siblings in Christ, as if we are perfect or have never sinned and that our theology and doctrine is the one and only way. Can't we sometimes see a hint of the Sanhederin or the teachers of the law when we look at the mirror?
The Truth is there is only One Way. He is the Word who made everything. He is the Word who came in human form. He is love. And He is for unity. Let us strive to correct ourselves first before we correct others. If we must, then let's do so with love. We know how long God waited for us to get our act together (and for most if not all of us, He still is waiting).
Let us be slow to speak, and quick to listen and understand. Let us first get down from our high horse, put ourselves in other people's shoes and walk in them, before we judge them.
Let us be like Jesus and no one else -- elevating no other name, no other person, no other organization, no other denonination and no other congregation. Slander, gossip, envy, offensive language, these are not from God.
There is more than unites us believers than there is that divides us -- most important of which is grace. When we realize that Jesus overlooked all of our past, where we came from, what we've done, all of our mistakes, our backgrounds, ethnicities, personal preferences and prejudices, and everything that differentiates us and when we understand that everytime God looks at every single one of us, He sees One Person, His Son -- then we too can start to see Jesus when we look at all our other siblings in Christ (maybe even when we look at the person looking back at us when we look at the mirror).
The Holy Spirit is gathering all the lost sons and daughters of God from all backgrounds from all the corners of the earth, are we working towards this goal or not? Or are we just concerned with those within our happy clappy, we are the only ones saved and the only ones who know the truth congregation?
Even Peter, James, John, Paul and all the early followers of Christ has not been as arrogant as many of us has been. Okay, at times they were, all of them especially Peter (the sons of thunder and Paul) before they fully matured spiritually.
Beginning of The End
The world as we know it is ending. We are transitioning into a whole new world order, yet there is still the same disorder and disunity within the Body of Christ and most of it are just pettiness, religion, legalism, tradition and pride.
Are we really waiting for Jesus to call as aside (like He did to Peter) and ask us three times, [your name] do you love me?
Is our answer going to be, what about him Lord, as we are busy pointing to another follower of Christ?
We should already know the Lord's reply.
What is that to you? You follow Me.
There is more than unites us believers than there is that divides us -- most important of which is grace. When we realize that Jesus overlooked all of our past, where we came from, what we've done, all of our mistakes, our backgrounds, ethnicities, personal preferences and prejudices, and everything that differentiates us and when we understand that everytime God looks at every single one of us, He sees One Person, His Son -- then we too can start to see Jesus when we look at all our other siblings in Christ (maybe even when we look at the person looking back at us when we look at the mirror).
The Holy Spirit is gathering all the lost sons and daughters of God from all backgrounds from all the corners of the earth, are we working towards this goal or not? Or are we just concerned with those within our happy clappy, we are the only ones saved and the only ones who know the truth congregation?
Even Peter, James, John, Paul and all the early followers of Christ has not been as arrogant as many of us has been. Okay, at times they were, all of them especially Peter (the sons of thunder and Paul) before they fully matured spiritually.
Beginning of The End
The world as we know it is ending. We are transitioning into a whole new world order, yet there is still the same disorder and disunity within the Body of Christ and most of it are just pettiness, religion, legalism, tradition and pride.
Are we really waiting for Jesus to call as aside (like He did to Peter) and ask us three times, [your name] do you love me?
Is our answer going to be, what about him Lord, as we are busy pointing to another follower of Christ?
We should already know the Lord's reply.
What is that to you? You follow Me.
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